Triumph conceived the bike to celebrate when Texan Johnny Allen piloted his Triumph-powered “Texas Cee-gar” streamliner to a new motorcycle world land speed record—214.40 mph at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in 1956.

Having competed at Bonneville four times myself , the bike had a kind of connection to both my past as well as Triumph’s. And, when it came right down to it, connection or not, I thought the bike was just plain beautiful in the Caspian Blue and white livery selected to match the colors of the record-holding streamliner.

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The bike had just about everything I wanted in addition to the special paint job and neat back story, though I did add just a few things. It needed a set of day-trip saddlebags, and at least a small windshield to keep my riding gear from accumulating a coating of bugs. The Triumph T214 didn’t have a center stand as standard equipment, so I added one. It also lacked a grab rail ‘round the back, so I added that, too.

There was really only one other alteration that seemed necessary to complete the look—changing out the stock neo-pea-shooter mufflers with a set of British Customs Predator units.

The Predators have a more Thurxton-like up-swept, reverse cone-megaphone style to them, feature excellent chrome finish and have a somewhat more unrestricted sound than the stock units, though they are not obnoxiously loud, either.

The Predator mufflers were installed at Baxter Cycle in Marne, Iowa, where I got the bike prior to taking delivery in December 2014 and came with the added assurance that their use would not void the factory warranty. The installation work has proven first-rate, with nothing working loose, no evidence of exhaust gas leakage at the header to muffler fitment and everything working and looking just as it should.

I will admit to being unwilling to wait until winter’s road salt and sand residue is washed off by spring rain before I start the riding season. That exposes the equipment close to the ground, such as mufflers, clamps and pipes to liberal doses of potentially corrosion-inducing road spray, grit and grime. This Triumph has been no exception and I’ve been on the lookout for signs of corrosion, pitting, cracking and discoloration of the chrome plate. So far, there is none.

Internals of the muffler units appear to be sound (no pun intended) as well with no signs of corrosion or cracking in any parts visible from the outlet. So, with just over two years use on the units, all appears well; stay tuned to Ultimate Motorcycling for future updates and other long-term product reviews.

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